El-Ezba Theatre

Masrah El Ezba (El-Ezba Theatre) is an art, architecture and performance-based project that incorporates the skills and materials of the craftsmanships-rich community of Ezbet Khairallah. The resulting artwork gives off an iconic presence but also catalyzes neighborhood-bound performance and entertainment activities in an intimate open-air theatre setting of 40-50 audience capacity.

Located on top of one of Cairo’s very few hills, the informal neighborhood of Ezbet Khairallah is structurally and topographically unique. The densely entangled community envelops its bustled activities tightly. The spot chosen for the project, on the edge of the hill, is one that exposes rather than conceals. The 95 m2 arena with a stage establishes a strong visual connection with a non-linear skyline, looking into Cairo’s North and West directions. It overlooks high-rise buildings at various distances and segments of The Ring Road, which connects the capitals’ widespread zones to each other, and to the new extended settlements of the big Megalopolis.